Three South African lodges are included on the latest National Geographic Adventure magazine list of 50 top eco-lodges. Phinda Private Game Reserve, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve and Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve have taken their place among the top environmentally friendly tourism destinations in the world. 

Tswalu has won a number of international awards, including several AA Travel Guide accolades and a Condé Nast Traveler 2007 World Savers Award. While it offers a superb safari experience, its primary aim is conservation and socio-economic development in the region and preserving the natural environment and ecological processes that are unique to the Kalahari ecosystem. Its architectural designs minimise water and energy usage.

The acclaimed Phinda Private Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal is a flagship establishment encompassing seven separate ecosystems ranging from woodland, grassland, wetland and forest, to mountain ranges, river courses, marshes and pans. The reserve is also home to a contingent of rare black rhino.
 
Spectacular Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve in the Western Cape, situated on the northern side of the Cederberg mountains, boasts more than 130 rock art sites, some of which have been dated back to 10 000 years ago.

Of the 50 establishments recognised as the most earth-friendly, 17 are in Africa. Four are in Kenya, with two each in Namibia, Botswana and Tanzania, and one each in Mozambique, Seychelles, Egypt and Morocco.

National Geographic Adventure says that a decade ago the number of true eco-lodges on the planet could be counted on two hands. However they are now no longer found solely deep in the African bush or Central American jungle, as these are not the only ecosystems that need nurturing. Today, eco-lodges are found in a diversity of landscapes and locales ranging from island and savannah to mountain and desert terrain.

As far back as 1990 the Ecotourism Society defined ecotourism as "Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people”.

Eco-lodges, therefore, are those establishments that focus strongly on a greener way of operating, including the support of local communities, the creation of far-reaching conservation initiatives and a firm emphasis on adventure. A good eco-lodge should incorporate cultural elements into the design and décor, disrupt the natural environment as little as possible and source food from local farmers. Oh, and guests can expect dazzling locations and unsurpassed service and comfort too.

Eco-lodges are becoming increasingly fashionable, not only because many of them genuinely deserve their place among the world’s top destinations, but also because more tourists are listening to their consciences and actively supporting the vital role that eco-lodges play in conservation.

 

 

 

Sourced: MediaClubSouthAfrica.com